Luke Rockhold will likely be out to show some extent tonight (Sat., April 29, 2023) at BKFC 41 reside on FITE.TV pay-per-view (PPV) from inside 1stBank Heart in Broomfield, Colo., as the previous Final Combating Championship (UFC) middleweight king makes his first look since leaving UFC behind earlier this 12 months. Will probably be Rockhold’s likelihood to show he made the best alternative in free company.
From Strikeforce champion to UFC titleholder, Rockhold has been round combined martial arts (MMA) for a really very long time. The 38-year-old was top-of-the-line fighters on the UFC roster from 2014-2017 and competed towards each prime 185-pound contender within the sport. He had carved out a pleasant little nook to name his personal, however variations with UFC in the end pushed Rockhold out the door.
“Being locked in with them, and what they had been providing, and what was on the desk, and having to work again by their ranks on their phrases, I didn’t wish to try this,” Rockhold mentioned on The Fighter vs. The Author (by way of MMA Fighting). “That’s not enjoyable for me. I’ve already been there. I’ve been the UFC champion. I’ve been the Strikeforce champion. What’s f****** subsequent?
“I need new objectives. I need new challenges. You by no means know. So long as my physique’s going within the course it’s going now, something can occur. I may return there so long as it was on my phrases. However conquering one other world proper now could be what I’m on the lookout for. Extra mountains to climb, extra issues to do. That is what I’m f—king right here for. I like preventing. Combating f—king offers me life.”
After hitting free agency in early 2023 Rockhold discovered a brand new dwelling with Naked Knuckle Combating Championship (BKFC). It wasn’t the most probably touchdown spot for the previous middleweight champion of the world, however it allowed Rockhold to get the contract he was on the lookout for on his personal phrases.
“I used to be locked right into a contract, many various contracts,” he mentioned. “It’s only one contract to the subsequent, however there’s at all times long-term offers, and it’s not at all times one of the best vitality, one of the best setting if you’re preventing [and] if you’re at odds with one another. You’re preventing on their phrases and their paycheck. So being a free agent, it’s a special story. Being your personal promotion. Having the ability to struggle by yourself phrases and choose your paychecks, choose your fights. Prefer it must be, just like the struggle sport is.
“In the event you’re on the prime of the sport, you must have the ability to choose the place you’re employed along with a promoter to seek out the opponent, to seek out the paycheck that you really want, that makes you content, that makes you wish to struggle. Then you definately’re going to get one of the best fighters, one of the best struggle from that fighter. That’s what preventing is. Not being f—king enslaved to an organization and preventing on their phrases, who they need, for what they need. F—okay that. I’m grateful for [UFC Chief Business Officer] Hunter Campbell letting me go and doing my factor, however the construction, it’s not one of the best.”
Now that Rockhold is now not underneath UFC management he’s capable of look again at his time with the promotion and what he takes away from his departure. Rockhold believes he made the best alternative even when it wasn’t the preferred one. He has even grown assist for Francis Ngannou and the heavyweight’s determination to leave a UFC contract behind.
“I’m f—king stoked for Francis,” Rockhold mentioned. “Francis, he’s an actual man with f—king balls and he can decide. There’s too many sure males on this planet. The UFC is the place it’s in the present day as a result of all these motherf—king are sure males, and so they’re simply enjoying their sport so the UFC goes to maintain enjoying their sport and hold controlling the fighters.
“If there wasn’t as many sure males, if there have been extra Francis Ngannous and Luke Rockholds and people who had a f—king pair of balls, we’d have an excellent f—king enjoying area, however there’s too many b—ches on this planet.”
Rockhold received’t have to fret a couple of UFC contract or preventing inside the Octagon later tonight at BKFC 41, however he may have his fingers full with madman, Mike Perry, in the primary occasion. Will probably be Rockhold’s naked knuckle boxing debut and his likelihood to money in on his new contract.
For the entire BKFC 41 struggle card click on here. For extra BKFC information and notes go here.
